S.F. wants Dodgers to pay Stow's bill

Bryan Stow case

This undated image provided Tuesday April 5, 2011 by John Stow shows Bryan Stow holding his 12-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. Bryan Stow, A Giants fan was beaten after last week Dodger home opener, has sustained brain damage as a result and remainin critical condition. The children are unidentified at the request of the source.

San Francisco is seeking $1.2 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers in federal Bankruptcy Court to recoup unpaid medical costs for Bryan Stow, a Giants fan who was severely beaten by rival fans in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.

The city's effort - spelled out in recent court filings - follows the Stow family's lawsuit against the Dodgers in Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming that lax security and other problems contributed to the March 2011 attack after an Opening Day game.

San Francisco has identified the Dodgers as potentially liable for Stow's bills, and is setting itself up as a creditor in bankruptcy proceedings that began last year under former club owner Frank McCourt.

Stow, a 43-year-old paramedic from Santa Cruz, suffered a near-fatal brain injury and is expected to be disabled for the rest of his life. Within weeks of the attack, he was transferred to San Francisco General Hospital, where he spent five months before being moved to a rehabilitation center.

The $1.2 million sought by San Francisco represents medical bills not paid by Stow's personal medical insurance. Under city policy, the hospital referred the unpaid bills to the city treasurer's Bureau of Delinquent Revenue, which is pursuing reimbursement.

Attorneys for Stow's family have estimated that his lifetime medical care could cost more than $50 million. On Monday, family members wrote on their website - www. support4bryanstow.com - that Stow had visited home for the first time recently but was not ready to move in permanently.

The visit "helped us realize that he isn't ready, and neither are we, as he still requires assistance with most things," the family wrote. "These are things that we will learn together and eventually we will all feel comfortable when that transition happens, but we are preparing ourselves for the reality that a homecoming won't be anytime soon."

The family said Stow had surgery last week to deal with bone growth in his joints, a common effect of brain injuries, and will need further procedures, setting back his recovery. But they also posted a photo of a smiling Stow with Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt, a shot that was taken after Stow attended Game 2 of the World Series at AT&T Park.

Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood, both of San Bernardino County, are accused of mayhem, assault and battery in connection with Stow's beating.

At a preliminary hearing, Los Angeles prosecutors portrayed Sanchez as an out-of-control Dodgers fan who surprised Stow with a sucker-punch, causing him to fall back unconscious and slam his head.